Oriolepaw felt shaken up as she scoured Caveclan territory for prey. She couldn't remember what had happened after she'd left the camp on Fawntail's orders.. She only remembered the sudden drop into the pond.
It hadn't ever happened while she was awake before. Not the pond itself- Other water, yes, the river, the Turtle Steps pond, puddles, anything, but she hadn't ever seen that deathly still pond anywhere except her dreams.
The gray cat had been there, she remembered. She still didn't know his name, but she knew he was her friend. He'd tried so hard to wake her up, but nothing he did had helped.
What do you make of that, she thought to him. He walked by her, only just the barest bit visible, like a heat illusion in the distance but right next to her.
I don't know, he told her, and he sounded exhausted. She couldn't make out his expression, but she didn't need to.
She thought of the Cliffclan cat, that Marigoldpaw. At the pond she had only been vaguely aware of her surroundings. If she thought hard she could recall the hazy face of Marigoldpaw, confusion written clearly on her.
Wake up, she'd said, and Oriolepaw had heard it like she heard her friend's. And Oriolepaw had. She'd woken up, just like that.
I don't understand, she thought. The gray cat beside her sighed. How can we stop this?
Again he said, I don't know, and Oriolepaw nodded. Without thinking she bounded over to a surprisingly lush brush and reached her paw under it, fishing out a shocked mouse. She killed it quickly and kept going.
She did that twice more, hunting without tracking. That was all that was needed, after all, and all she had seen. Fine, she thought. It's fine. And she headed back home.
The gray cat left her at the entrance, whispering, I'll be around before fading. She was grateful he'd kept her company, even if she wished he was still around.
Fawntail was pleased with her catch, even if she did comment on how long it had taken her. Oriolepaw felt guilty and glad all at once for how proud Fawntail was of her. She sat with Oriolepaw and ate with her, affection coloring their conversation.
Darkgaze and Astertail came in eventually. Border patrol, since they weren't carrying prey. Fawntail informed them that Oriolepaw had done "very well, really," and Oriolepaw had to sit through her parents congratulating her and purring over how proud they were.
I don't deserve this, Oriolepaw thought. I'm keeping secrets. And she thought about Marigoldpaw at the border, and the starry gray cat, and lies like "I'm fine."
And then it was night time. Astertail and Darkgaze bid her goodnight and left together. Fawntail got up a moment later and stretched. "Dawn patrol in the morning," she mewed between a yawn. "Get some rest," and Oriolepaw had no choice but to follow her down the tunnel that housed both the apprentice's and the warrior's dens.
She had just gotten comfortable when Crowpaw and Honeypaw wandered in. They exchanged awkward, quiet glances, the same way they'd always been since before Oriolepaw had become an apprentice, and then they laid down on their side of the den.
Oriolepaw wondered if they'd ever be friends again. She missed them. She sighed and curled up tighter in her nest, telling herself, even as anxiety swarmed her stomach, that she'd feel better in the morning.
She drifted off as Honeypaw began to snore, sleep fogging her thoughts and embracing her, and for a moment she was content. And then
still water stretching reflecting nothing
She jerked awake, shaking. The pond again, immediately. That's okay, she told herself. Just a fluke. You'll be fine.
But it was there again, and then again, beckoning her into its depths, and then she gave up on sleeping. It'll be fine, she told herself again. Everyone loses sleep sometimes. It'll be just fine.
Oriolepaw was on her back, staring up at the cracked cave roof when Fawntail came to get her at dawn. "Up already?" she yawned as Oriolepaw got up. "Or- Did you sleep at all?" she mewed in the brighter tunnel. "Oriolepaw, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, just.. The mouse I ate must have been bad," she mewed evasively. "But everything is fine, Fawntail, I'm feeling better."
"You should have gone to see Cactusleaf," her mentor scolded. "You knew we were getting up at dawn."
"I guess it just didn't occur to me," Oriolepaw mewed feebly. Fawntail scoffed.
"Well, it's your own fault. You're still going on the patrol." Fawntail turned kept going into the antechamber, and out the exit, leaving Oriolepaw to mutter, "Yes, Fawntail," to the ground.
It wasn't as if dawn patrol was hard. It mostly just involved walking and that didn't take much concentration, and the borders had been quiet so likelihood of a fight was small. Still, Fawntail occasionally glanced back at her from where she was following Shrikestorm and Brindlefur, a disapproving, slightly annoyed look on her face.
So much for being proud of me, Oriolepaw thought a little bitterly. This would probably be another thing Batstar would hear about. She wondered what their leader thought of her.
Nothing happened on the patrol, and they got back to the cave without incident. "Take a nap," Fawntail tried to tell her, but Oriolepaw shook her head. "You really should," her mentor said, sighing, but she didn't try to force her.
She didn't sleep that night either. She only had to see the pond once before she was wide awake, heart pounding. She lied to Fawntail when she asked how Oriolepaw had slept, saying well, but it only took until Oriolepaw stumbled out of exhaustion while hunting for her to be found out.
"What is wrong?" Fawntail mewed. "Why won't you tell me? Why won't you sleep?" Guilt and shame collided in Oriolepaw's stomach. She only hung her head, not knowing what to say. "Oriolepaw, please," Fawntail mewed, hurt in her tone. "Please talk to me."
She sighed and turned when Oriolepaw said nothing. "I wish you'd talk to me," she whispered, but she didn't press her apprentice anymore. "Go back to the camp, Oriolepaw. You're in no condition to hunt. You'd only get in the way."
Hurt spiked through Oriolepaw's chest at the words, even though they were spoken with no malice. "Okay," she mewed. Fawntail moved on without her, but it was a long time before Oriolepaw moved.
She sensed the gray tom next to her, but she didn't say anything to him, and he said nothing in return. She didn't know when he vanished again, she just looked up when she'd finally gotten tired of feeling sorry for herself and he was gone.
She crept back into camp, ignoring her clanmates who glanced at her, and headed into the apprentice's den. She couldn't stay in the antechamber for fear of the pond, so there really was nowhere else to go.
It must have been night time when Fawntail came to check on her. Oriolepaw had been laying in her nest, staring at the ceiling, when her mentor walked in. "Still haven't slept?" she murmured. Oriolepaw shook her head. Fawntail sighed and stepped aside.
Irrational betrayal cut through Oriolepaw at the sight of Cactusleaf and her parents. "Fawntail," she gasped, hurt, and Fawntail only looked at her.
"Hello, Oriolepaw," Cactusleaf mewed. "Fawntail tells me that you haven't slept for the past two days."
"What's wrong, little bird?" Astertail mewed. She and Darkgaze came to stand beside their daughter. "Why aren't you sleeping?"
"I-I just can't," was all Oriolepaw managed.
"You have to though," Darkgaze mewed. "Please, baby, you can't stay awake for so long. You'll make yourself sick."
Cactusleaf was the next inside, carrying a little leaf with her. She set it down and unfolded it to reveal a tiny, tiny speck that Oriolepaw recognized as a poppy seed.
Horror twisted her expression. "Please," she begged. "Please don't make me. Please."
"Little bird, you have to," Astertail mewed. She dipped her head to touch her nose to Oriolepaw's, but she jerked away. Surprised, Astertail took a step back.
Oriolepaw's head twisted to Darkgaze. Please, she thought, feeling like a kit again. Please. But Darkgaze only bent down to nudge the leaf with the poppy seed onto it closer to Oriolepaw's nest.
There was no other choice, then. She was trapped. Breath coming in panicked bursts, Oriolepaw licked up the poppy seed.
"You'll feel better when you wake up," Cactusleaf promised. Oriolepaw only looked at her with hurt and fear in her eyes as she laid back down.
"I'll come get you in the morning," Fawntail mewed. Oriolepaw's eyes slid shut, and the last thing she saw before she hit the water was her parents and mentor leaving the cave.
/
Darkgaze dreamt of her father for the first time in moons. He stood close enough that she knew it was him, but far enough away that his expression was blurred. No matter how fast she ran, trying to eat up the distance between them, he never got any closer.
She woke up feeling helpless, her heart pounding in her throat. "Darkgaze, Astertail," hissed Fawntail's voice from the tunnel. "Come here. Hurry. Hurry, please."
The intensity of her voice prodded Darkgaze into moving. She woke Astertail up with a shake, and her mate yawned and sat up. Fawntail shuffled nervously. "Come on," she urged. Her mew shook.
"What is it?" Astertail mewed through a yawn.
"I.. I couldn't wake Oriolepaw," Fawntail mewed. Darkgaze's heart dropped. She stood up, moving as soon as she was able to. Behind her, she could vaguely sense Astertail doing the same. Fawntail had immediately turned and backed out of the den as soon as she saw her friends moving. She spoke in low, urgent tones. "I went to get her but she.. She wouldn't wake up. I already went to get Cactusleaf-" and here she stopped. Their medicine cat was hurrying down the tunnel, expression grim. She slid by Fawntail and disappeared into the apprentice's den. Darkgaze shoved her way to the front to be the first to follow Cactusleaf inside.
Cactusleaf was bent over Oriolepaw, closely examining her. Darkgaze's daughter was sprawled in her nest, shaking. "Oriolepaw," Cactusleaf mewed intently. Oriolepaw didn't react.
Crowpaw and Honeypaw, huddled on the other side of the den, made small noises of worry. "What did you see?" Darkgaze demanded. They glanced at her.
Crowpaw mewed, "Nothing.. We checked on her but it just seemed like she was asleep."
"Her eyes are open," Cactusleaf said. Darkgaze moved around to the other side of the nest. Her daughter's eyes were wide and unblinking, staring glazed at the ceiling. "Oriolepaw," Cactusleaf mewed again. She prodded the apprentice sharply with her paw. Darkgaze sucked in a breath, but the prod had gotten a reaction; Oriolepaw let out a shuddering sigh.
"I can't look away," she whispered. Her voice sounded hoarse. Cactusleaf gently moved her head, but nothing happened. "Who's there?" Oriolepaw mewed. Her breath came in short pants. "I.. I can't see you. I can't see anything but the water. Darkgaze? Darkgaze, are you there?"
"I'm here, baby," Darkgaze mewed immediately, practically lunging across the small distance between her and her daughter.
Oriolepaw let out a soft moan. "He says you're there," she mewed. "I can't hear anything. I didn't want to sleep.." She stopped and for a moment the only sound she made was a long, pained noise. "It's too much," she mewed finally. "I can't look away. It doesn't make sense."
"What doesn't? Oriolepaw? Oriolepaw, what do you see? Oriolepaw, wake up, baby," Darkgaze mewed intently. She swallowed hard. Please don't make me sleep, her daughter had said. The expression on her face last night had seemed so familiar, but-
"She's seeing the future," Darkgaze realized, heartbreak and horror coloring her voice. "That's what's happening. She saw it when she was a kit- Sedgestripe and Larchpelt- The coyotes." Her voice hitched and she drooped her head, laying it over Oriolepaw. She'd been just a kit but she had known her friend's fates. She'd known and she'd begged Darkgaze to believe her but she hadn't. "I failed her twice."
Astertail set a paw on Darkgaze's back. "No," she mewed. "You didn't know."
"She tried to tell me," Darkgaze insisted.
"It's not your fault," Cactusleaf meowed. Her voice was flat. "I doubt she knew what was happening until recently."
"Darkgaze," Oriolepaw whispered. "Are you there? Please. He says you need to help me."
"Who is he?" Darkgaze mewed, lifting her head. "Who are you talking about?"
"He- He says his name is Duskfang." Darkgaze's heart stuttered in her chest. "He says he knows you." For a moment she stopped, whispering only, "please." Then she sucked in a breath and said, "I don't know what to do. I can't.. It's too much, Darkgaze, please-" Oriolepaw stopped again. Her head slowly inclined, like she was listening to someone. "I have to get to the Cliffclan border. Can you take me there?"
"Cliffclan?" Darkgaze echoed. She would have said more, but Oriolepaw's voice broke into a wail.
"Marigold!" she mewed. "Marigold!" It sounded as if the word cost her, like she was ripping it from her throat. "Please, marigold-"
"Marigold wouldn't do anything," Cactusleaf whispered. "It's for infections, it wouldn't-"
Darkgaze didn't listen. She and Astertail exchanged a look, and together they got on either side of Oriolepaw and pushed her up so she was standing. "Come on, little bird," Astertail mewed. Her voice shook. It took a moment but then Oriolepaw was walking. Stumbling blindly, but walking nonetheless. Fawntail hurried ahead, clearing the way for them. Gratitude flooded Darkgaze, pushing back some of the worry that clouded her.
Oriolepaw had fallen silent. She seemed to be concentrating on walking and breathing. Her eyes were still open, wide and staring at nothing. Darkgaze didn't know what was at the Cliffclan border, but she hoped that whatever it was would work.